Helpful Information / Death claims /

Step 1: sorting out the paperwork

One of the first things you’ll need to do is to gather together certain documents to send with the claim form. Below are details of the documents you’ll need to send with the claim form.

If the customer left a Will, the person (or people) named as Executors are responsible for dealing with the paperwork and carrying out the wishes specified in the Will. The Executor may be a solicitor but could also be the next-of-kin, a family member or close friend. If there is no Will, this person is referred to as the Administrator and has the same responsibilities as the Executor.

Joint Accounts and Trusts

If the savings are held jointly or in trust, the surviving holder/trustee should complete the relevant section on the claim form. A Grant of Representation is usually not required.

Nomination

Prior to 1981, customers could nominate someone to receive their NS&I assets on death. It is likely that any Nomination Form will be kept with their NS&I documents. Send in the Nomination form along with the claim form and death certificate.

Getting access to the customer’s savings and investments

If the customer left a Will, the first thing to do is to decide whether you need to apply for a Grant of Representation (see below for more details). This is a legal document that lets you get access to, and deal with, the estate of the customer who has died. A solicitor can help you with the process or you can apply directly to the Probate Office.

NS&I won’t usually ask you to apply for a Grant of Representation if the customer’s total holdings with NS&I were worth less than £15,000, though we have the right to ask to see one for a claim of any value.

To claim the savings held with NS&I, you’ll need to get the supporting documents shown in the panels below, and send them to us with the claim form.

Is there a will?

Yes, there is a Will	No, there isn’t a Will
You’ll need to send a registrars copy of the death certificate (photocopies are not accepted) and the Will (original or a photocopy certified by a solicitor).	You’ll need to send a registrars copy of the death certificate (photocopies are not accepted)
If the savings are £15,000 and over you’ll need to send:	If the savings are £15,000 and over you’ll need to send:
Grant of Probate (England and Wales) or Confirmation of Executor Nominate (Scotland)	Grant of Letters of Administration (England and Wales) or Confirmation of Executor Dative (Scotland)
These documents are issued by the court so that the Executor of the Will can administer a person’s estate. If you have any bank books, bonds or certificates, please send them in too. Remember to make a note of bond or account numbers in case you need to make any further enquiries.	These documents are issued by the court so that the family or solicitor can administer a person’s estate if there is no Will. If you have any bank books, bonds or certificates, please send them in too. Remember to make a note of bond or account numbers in case you need to make any further enquiries.

Why we ask to see documents
We need to see confirmation of the savings held and check the identity of the person who claims them so that we protect our customers’ money and make sure we pay out to the right people.

We will return your legal documents once we have made copies for our records.

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